The Impossible Thing

Belinda Bauer’s novels always feature unusual, often quirky topics, and in this case, it’s the collection of rare bird eggs. She vividly describes how, in the early 20th century, men would dangle from the cliffs of North Yorkshire by ropes to pluck eggs from colonies of breeding birds.

The most collectible were those of the guillemots, which laid eggs in a stunning variety of colors and markings. These highly sought-after eggs were sold to dealers, who then resold them at a significant markup to collectors and museums.

In 1926, Celie, a small, neglected, and undernourished girl, lives on an impoverished farm as the youngest of five children. Shunned and mistreated by her family, she is a constant reminder of her mother’s husband, who abandoned them when Celie was born looking nothing like him or her siblings. One day, she discovers that she can squeeze through a narrow gap in the cliffs and persuades her friend Robbie, the farmhand, to lower her through it to reach eggs that other hunters can’t. When she retrieves an egg of an exceptionally rare color, the payment her family receives changes their fortunes—but also exposes Celie to the greed of dealers and obsessed collectors.

A century later, Patrick Fort (previously introduced in Rubbernecker) is cycling past his eccentric friend Nick’s house when he notices the front door wide open. Inside, he finds Nick and his mother tied up after a burglary by masked men. Strangely, the only item stolen was an egg in an intricately carved wooden box—something Nick had recently discovered in his attic and briefly listed on eBay before the listing was removed for violating trade regulations. Convinced the egg must be worth a fortune, Nick becomes determined to track down the thieves and steal it back.

This well-crafted mystery, featuring intriguing characters, unfolds across two timelines a century apart. The 1920s frenzy for egg collecting—and the lucrative trafficking industry behind it—is thoroughly researched and eye-opening, with little thought given to the cruelty of the practice. There’s also the lingering mystery of what happened to Celie’s extraordinarily rare eggs, which were never seen by anyone aside from the dealer.

In the present day, Nick and Patrick learn that the illegal hoarding of rare eggs remains a secretive and ongoing obsession. Together, they form an unlikely sleuthing duo, relying heavily on their favorite video game, Call of Duty, for inspiration. Patrick’s neurodiversity allows him to think outside the box as they devise an outrageous plan to reclaim Nick’s stolen egg, often injecting humor into the plot. Tension and suspense build as they close in on the culprit and prepare for a daring heist.

Recommended for anyone seeking an unconventional mystery with a unique and compelling premise.

With thanks to Grove Atlantic for a copy to read.